State and territory governments have the responsibility for most education and training, including the administration and substantial funding of primary and secondary education, as well as the administration and major funding of vocational education and training (VET).

The Australian (Commonwealth) Government has special responsibilities in education and training for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, migrants, international partnerships in education, and assistance for students. It is also principally responsible for the funding of higher education institutions and provides supplementary funding for schools and for VET.

The Australian Government provides special grants to the states and territories for areas of particular need. The Government is also involved in promoting national consistency and coherence in the provision of education and training across Australia.

Government responsibilities in education and training extend beyond funding. Among these responsibilities are the requirement to monitor the distribution of the funding, gather information on outcomes, make projections of future usage of education services, assess sector performance against international criteria, assist in managing the availability of skills for the Australian workforce and report on such activities.

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